To be more politically correct, The Australian Defence Force has banned the term ‘unmanned’ in reference to drones.
The directive came from Defence Aviation Safety Authority (DASA), Air Commodore Joseph Medved, who wrote about the changes in October 2021.
It was reported that Medved emailed different departments, asking them to create a spreadsheet displaying terms that could be nominated for replacement.
Drones, which were once called “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAV) or “unmanned aerial systems” (UAS), are now referred to as “uncrewed” to keep up with the latest trend in political correctness. It does not stop there. Senior officials are also considering replacing the terms “man-hours” with “staff hours” and “he/she” with “they.”
Australian Defence Force goes woke renaming 'unmanned' drones to become more gender inclusive
Defence Force removing gender-specific terms
Drones renamed to 'uncrewed' aerial vehicles from 'unmanned'— News News News (@NewsNew97351204) November 8, 2023
The “gender neutral project” comes after former Defence Minister Peter Dutton’s May 2021 directive, asking the Defence Department to discontinue the promotion of a “woke agenda.”
Dutton’s order was given after defence staff wore rainbow clothing and held a morning tea as a way to celebrate ‘International Day against homophobia, biphobia, intersexphobia and transphobia’.
Defence bosses ban morning teas in support of LGBTI personnel https://t.co/RhDpU5YQD8
— ABC News (@abcnews) May 21, 2021
While Dutton stated that he was against discrimination, he believed that the staff should be more focused on doing their job, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic was in full effect and the growing tensions with China.
Defence Secretary Greg Moriarty and Chief General Angus Campbell released a memo lifting Dutton’s ban, stating that they support a “diverse workplace” and “inclusive culture.”
The Army still uses the term “unmanned” on their website, which had also come under scrutiny for changing its combat ration labelling from “one man” to “one person.”
The ADF Academy directed their cadets to wear purple in support of Wear it Purple Day in August, in support of the LGBTIQA community in August.
Shadow Defence Minister and former army Officer Andrew Hastie stated that the ADF needs to be more concerned with building a stronger workforce instead of a woke agenda.
The Pineapple Express, an Australian veterans group, also agrees with Hastie. The group stated that funds could be better spent on mental health support, high-quality healthcare, and a better transition process into civilian life for veterans.
